Wine Secrets

Advice from Winemakers, Sommeliers, and Connoisseurs

by Marnie Old

Many good things come in small packages, such as this little labor of love by Marnie Old, one of the country’s top sommeliers. In fact, the small size of Wine Secrets and its to-the-point, succinct advice on how to judge whether a wine is good or how to guesstimate wine quality from packaging clues is what sucked us in and caused us to gulp down the little book in one huge quaff. It’s the perfect platform for a wine novice or someone who loves wine but never gets around to figuring out what tannins do and what dry really means. Learn how to assess body, how climate affects grapes, and what the big deal is about terroir—not as a theoretical concept, but to be able to explain it and taste it. Old has relied on her friends in the industry to offer advice, from French vintners to wine professors and master sommeliers. Wine Secrets offers just enough information to be a little more savvy (i.e. how not to be impressed by big production wines intended to “wow” at first sip), how to develop one’s palate and how to grow as a wine drinker.

Learn more at www.marnieold.com.

Reviewed by Sylvie Greil

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Updated: (12/03/09 AR)

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